95: Cry and,

“This place is cozy, very unlike your normal tastes,” Inho observed. The restaurant was small and homey, none of the diners wore designer suits, and the prices of the specials written in chalk behind the bar were numbers even Inho could afford. This was nothing like their first date at Botany.

“I wanted you to be comfortable”, Stephen pulled out his chair for him, then seated himself.

Inho finally had a chance to look at him uninterrupted and he couldn’t help but stare, drinking in Stephen’s handsome features. His shiny auburn hair, straight nose, and bright blue eyes were all so familiar but thrilled him like it was his first time seeing them. Stephen was really here, in Korea. It was hard to believe. Across the room, some women were giggling and glancing over. They probably thought Stephen was a celebrity of some kind, a model, or an actor, or…

“It’s really me. I’m not going to disappear.”

Inho flushed. He’d been staring too long. “Right, yeah… So… Why are you here?” He cringed– that was too blunt.

The waiter came by and took their orders before Stephen answered. Inho just pointed at something random, he had no focus to spare for the menu.

“Well, I said we could talk later.” Stephen spread his fingers like that answer justified an eleven-hour direct flight across the planet. “I thought it would be better in person.” He smiled, and Inho mirrored it back helplessly.

“W-what do you want to talk about?” He envied Stephen’s composure. Now that it was time to talk things through, he was getting super nervous, panicky even. Just relax! His breathing sped up.

Stephen didn’t show him any compassion, “You called me to talk, no? Here I am.”

Inho felt like his brain hit a fatal error, blue screen it was all over. “I– haaaaa, I need a minute.” He stood up, nearly knocking over the chair, “I’ve got to go to the washroom.”

Stephen snagged his hand before he could escape. “Hey, it’s okay. Sit down– I’ll go first. Don’t freak out.” Inho sat back down, and Stephen kept hold of his hand under the table. His hand was big and warm and his thumb traced small circles on Inho’s knuckle. “Are you alright?”

Inho nodded, ashamed of his moment of cowardice.

“So, you read my texts?” Stephen asked him in a soothing voice. How could he be so calm right now?

Stephen smiled gently at him and continued, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Jamie. I wasn’t trying to hide it, I just–” he paused, showing doubt for the first time, then he squeezed Inho’s hand and continued, “I was trying to hide it. I thought I could fix it before you found out and… that didn’t work out, obviously.” He sighed heavily. “I shouldn't have done it in the first place, it was callous and honestly like a little bit evil…?” Inho nodded emphatically, “But I’ve undone it now. This morning… your yesterday? I met with the directors and Jamie got her job back.”

Inho was stunned. He leaned back in his chair. “How?”

“She and I met and put some records and a statement together where I admitted fault. I presented them to the board, and she was reinstated.”

“...Were you fired?”

Stephen took a hissing breath through his teeth, “No, suspended for right now, but we’ll see how it goes.” He sighed again then smiled, “So, I have some time to spend here… if you’ll have me.”

Inho was still reeling and didn’t answer.

“That’s not what I came to tell you though. I came to say I was wrong for lying to you. And, I understand that, and I wish I could undo it.”

A torrent of jumbled emotions and half-formed thoughts competed in Inho’s mind. Was it really that simple? He’d been suffering for weeks over this, had fled a country, destroyed his own heart, and now, it was just… fixed? It seemed impossible, surely there was more to it than that. But Stephen’s earnest gaze didn’t waver, and his words settled on Inho like a soothing balm on the wounds he’d been nursing. It was what he wanted to hear, but it was also what he needed. It was enough.

Inho nodded shakily, “It’s okay… I… accept your apology.”

Stephen’s eyebrows raised, “Is there a “but'' in there? You sound uncertain.”

“No, not a but, I just, I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have ghosted you.” Inho squirmed in his seat and his eyes prickled with shame at his own wrongdoings, Stephen had gone to therapy and worked hard to undo his mistake. But, what if he couldn’t forgive Inho’s? “A friend made me see how wrong that was, and I hope it didn’t… hurt you too much…” he trailed off. Stephen didn’t answer, but under the table, he squeezed Inho’s hand tightly.

“I missed you like crazy,” Inho whispered. Their eyes caught and the mutual yearning they’d both been suffering for weeks was written clear as day. Surely, if Stephen was here, it meant he wanted to try again… Nobody would travel this far for a chat. The rest could be worked out later.

Their food arrived and for a few minutes, they poked at their plates in a silence dense with unspoken words. Inho chewed what might as well have been ashes and washed it down, wishing for something, anything to happen. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he gathered all his courage, digging into the deep warm feelings that radiated through him whenever Stephen met his gaze, touched his skin, or said his name, and he took a risk. His hands trembled as he spoke. “So, do you want to get back together?”